Should the Taxpayer Support the Arts? (web edition)

In this IEA classic, first published in 1993, David Sawers examines the arguments for state support of the arts and finds them unconvincing. The development of artistic talent should be left to individuals and the Arts Council should be abolished.

Subsidy is undesirable because the people who benefit from it are likely to be richer than those who pay for it, and because it allows governments and government agencies to influence the development of the arts.